THE ESSENCE
Sound, Breath and Silence
A RETREAT OF SOUND, SILENCE, MOVEMENT AND BREATHING IN THE WILD AND SUSPENDED MAGIC OF THE CENTOVALLI, TICINO (CH)
‘It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.
What is essential is invisible to the eye.’
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
11 - 12 April 2026
Ecovillaggio & Santuario Terra Vecchia Bordei
Palagnedra, Centovalli | Switzerland
With Susana Tavares & Daniele Mahendra
10% discount until 10.02.2026
Il ritiro sarà in italiano con traduzione parziale in Inglese.
The retreat will be in Italian with English translation. Click HERE for details in Italian.
A 2-day, 1-night immersion in the beautiful Terra Vecchia Bordei Ecovillage, suspended between magical mountains. A retreat back to basics, to listening, to silence, to primordial sounds, to contact with oneself, with others and with nature.
We create sacred, special, meditative moments to heal ourselves and grow as human beings.
Activities included
Free movement, yoga, chakra opening and alignment, pranayama, meditation, Somatic Breathwork and sound healing with gongs, Tibetan bells, drum tanks, ocean drums, shamanic drums, didgeridoos, walking sticks and crystal harps.
Extra activities
Walks in the woods, individual massages with Mahendra, sauna.
A retreat open to everyone aged 16/17 and above.
FACILITATORS: Susana de Sousa Tavares & Daniele Mahendra
VENUE: Ecovillage & Sanctuary Terra Vecchia Bordei, Palagnedra, Centovalli, Ticino, CH-6657
Approximately 80/90 minutes from Lugano, 130 minutes by car from Milan
START: Saturday, 11 April 2026, 11:15 a.m. (check-in at approximately 4:00 p.m.)
CONCLUSION: Sunday, 12 April 2026, 4:45/5:00 p.m.
Those wishing to arrive on Friday 10 April or stay after 12 April can book a room and breakfast privately HERE.
The investment includes:
-
7 multi-level group sessions of yoga and body movement, meditation, chakra alignment, gong baths and other healing tools.
-
1 session (optional) of Somatic Breathwork (note: this session will be held in English only if there are at least 3 non-Italian speakers),
-
3 vegetarian meals (lunch and dinner on Saturday + brunch on Sunday), prepared by renowned chef Pietro Leemann
-
Cushions, mats and blankets for the practices,
-
Silence, nature, socialising and new friendships.
-
A healing and memorable experience, a moment to disconnect and rejuvenate.
Extra paid activities:
-
Massages: CHF 130.- for a 1 hour 20 minute massage with Mahendra (sound and body touch to relieve tension; book directly with Mahendra, only two sessions available during the retreat, Sunday 12th; other massage slots available in Cureglia on Monday 13th in the morning, book HERE)
-
Sauna: For those who decide to arrive on Friday, it is possible to book the sauna by contacting reception directly. CHF 20.- per person, with a minimum of 6 people, at Terra Nuova (40-minute walk with a guide). If there are at least 6 participants, it is also possible to use the sauna on Saturday instead of attending the Somatic Breathwork session (registration for the sauna via a form that will be sent to participants in March).
Retreat organised by SoulsinNature and promoted in collaboration with Yoga Loft Ticino, Mamaste Yoga, Susana Tavares and Gong Heart by Mahendra. Suitable for both experienced practitioners and beginners.
The venue
ECOVILLAGGIO & SANCTUARY BORDEI TERRA NUOVA
Located in the heart of the Alpine valley, the Ecovillage & Sanctuary project covers the Terra Vecchia area and parts of the village of Bordei. While Bordei continues to be a lively and authentic local community, our activities and retreat centre are located in a specially dedicated ecovillage area within Bordei, separate from the rest of the village.
Bordei is the centre of social activities and retreats, while Terra Vecchia is home to the sanctuary. The two villages are ideal for hosting social activities, relaxing and contemplative stays, and retreats that revitalise the body, mind and soul.
The Ecovillage, run by renowned chef Pietro Leemann, is an intimate place for meeting, staying and finding peace, where people of all ages, backgrounds and religions are inspired to lead a life in harmony with themselves, society and nature.
ACCOMMODATION
The ecovillage provides our group with:
-
4 single rooms
-
5 double rooms for single use
-
5 double rooms for double use (twin or double bed)
-
2 triple rooms.
All rooms have external bathrooms, each shared between approximately 3 people.
Susana Tavares
The Facilitator: teacher of yoga, gong, pranayama, meditation and Somatic Breathwork
After about 12 years of practising Kundalini Yoga and meditation, Susana decided to train as a teacher and in 2017 she completed her training in Kundalini yoga, pranayama and meditation in London, under the guidance of Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa.
For several years, she practised conscious breathing techniques and developed perception tools under the guidance of Michael Brown. In 2022, she took a training course as a Somatic Breathwork facilitator for emotional release with Tim Morrison.
Susana is also an active student of shamanism and has gained experience in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest with local shamans. She is also a regular practitioner and facilitator of mindful fasting.
She organises workshops and retreats on mindfulness, yoga, meditation, pranayama, mindful fasting and emotional release, and facilitates online courses on personal growth and emotional integration.
Born and raised in Portugal, Susana has lived and worked in Ticino (Switzerland) since 2006 and is fluent in English, Italian and Portuguese.
Daniele Mahendra
The facilitator: Musician, gong player and other healing instruments
Daniele is a renowned Italian musician with a big heart and incredible musical talent.
He has been working for years as a gong master and holistic therapist, focusing on sound vibrations.
Through his sessions, we have the opportunity, in less than 90 minutes, to reach or feel very high vibration frequencies, aligning ourselves with the frequency of the cosmos, feeling incredibly more present and centred and emanating a strong magnetism, a reinforced sense of belonging and a serenity that we hardly ever achieve in our daily lives.
He attended meditation courses at the Pune Resort in Maharashtra, India, and other holistic centres around the world, graduating in Shiatsu & Reflexology in Italy at the OSHO DIVINE HEALING ARTS school with Dr J.M.P. Matos and in Ayurvedic Massage in India at the Raso Vai Ayurvedic Clinic. I obtained the 1st and 2nd levels in Reiki and Bio Dynamic Body Balancing with Andrea Gyanrahi Samorè.
He obtained the GONG Master training in 2014, directly with the creator of gong baths, Don Conreaux.
Somatic Breathwork
A powerful technique for somato-emotional release
In Breathwork ceremonies, we create a safe and intentional space together to stir and release stagnant energies and emotions, and to integrate traumas that limit and block us.
Breathwork sessions offer the opportunity to transform fears and difficult experiences into healing resources, in an alchemical process based on trust and deep acceptance. The work is carried out through music and sound, breathing techniques aimed at emotional release, shamanic wisdom and the conscious use of herbs, incense and essential oils. The journey is supported by the attentive presence of trained and experienced facilitators; with the consent of the participants, specific touch techniques may also be used to support the process.
When we allow ourselves to let go of our defences and trust the experience, Breathwork becomes a powerful tool for dissolving deep blocks, creating inner space and giving shape to new ways of being, feeling and responding to life, with greater awareness, clarity, serenity and vitality.
INVESTIMENT
DISCOUNTS (not cumulative)
-
10% before 10.02.2026
-
5% for Yoga Loft card holders
Investment starting from CHF 306.- (in a triple room, before 10.02.2026), including:
-
A total of 7 group sessions with Susana and/or Daniele,
-
3 high-quality vegetarian meals (lunch and dinner on Saturday + brunch on Sunday), prepared by the renowned chef Pietro Leemann,
-
Accommodation for 1 night in a single, double or triple room with shared bathroom,
-
Use of the yoga shala and all outdoor spaces in the ecovillage.
INVESTMENT
Notes: prices per person, no discounts; bathrooms are all outside the rooms: approximately 1 bathroom for every 3 people; a 10% discount will be applied to the prices below for bookings made by 10 February:
-
Double room for single use: CHF 435 | €465
-
Single room: CHF 425 | €455
-
Double room for double use: CHF 380 | €405
-
Triple room: CHF 340 | €365
NOTES AND CANCELLATION POLICY
-
A minimum payment of 50% is required to confirm your registration.
-
Transfers, massages and sauna are subject to an extra charge.
-
Sunday lunch is not included; everyone is responsible for making their own arrangements at the tavern.
-
Please respect the quiet hours between 9:30 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
-
The amounts paid are refundable only in the form of vouchers for future events with Soulsinnature, with a penalty of CHF/€50 for administrative costs.
-
After 29 March 2026, it is no longer possible to cancel participation, but it is possible to sell or give your place to someone you know.
Join us for a weekend of fun and wellness! Take advantage of our discounts, secure your place and choose your preferred room!
Sauna and river
Near the river there is a beautiful area with a wood-fired sauna. The sauna is available to groups and guests staying at the facility.
After a sauna session, you can plunge into the cool water of the river, which flows right next to the sauna.
The place is surrounded by woods and mountains, a wonderful place to rejuvenate body and mind.
The sauna programme is only available on Friday afternoons. Please contact the ecovillage reception directly.
ORGANISATIONAL NOTES
-
The retreat will be in Italian with English translation.
-
Please keep noise to a minimum between 9.30 p.m. and 8 a.m.
-
To register, fill in the form and wait for confirmation by email from info@soulsinnature.net. Registration deadline: 10 April 2026 (subject to availability).
-
Registration is confirmed upon payment of at least 50% of the retreat cost. The full amount must be paid by 31 March 2026.
-
Maximum number of participants: 24
-
Cancellation policy:
- In the event of cancellation by the organisers, any fees paid will be refunded.
-
Payments are refundable only in the form of vouchers for future Soulsinnature events, with a penalty of CHF/€50 for administrative costs. After 11 February 2026, it is no longer possible to cancel participation, but it is possible to sell or give your place to someone you know.
PAYMENTS
-
Payments by bank transfer to (please pay in Euro to the Euro account or in CHF to the CHF account):
-
IBAN (in Euro): CH13 8080 8006 7185 8973 1: | IBAN (in CHF): CH75 8080 8006 2450 2957 1:
-
Banca Raiffeisen, Gravesano-Lugano (CH)
-
Accounts in the name of: Authentic Moments by Susana de Sousa Tavares | Address: Via Pianello, CH-6944 Cureglia
-
Reason for payment: Bordei Retreat April 2026
-
-
TWINT to +41(0)78 228 7636 (reason for payment: Name + Bordei Retreat April 2026)
-
Cash in person at Yoga Loft in Cureglia (Via Pianello 6B)
-
REVOLUT to @susana51ng